Loom



May 21, 1946. R. G. TURNER LOOM Filed June 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 21, 1946- R. G. TURNER 2,400,792

LOOM

Filed June 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 21, 1946 LOOM Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Mass.,

Works, Worcester,

a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 3,1944, Serial No. 538,603 2 Claims. (Cl. 139-224) This invention relates to weaving and it is the general object of the invention to provide a weaving unit including means to remove from the air thereabout lint which arises due to operation of the unit.

In the process of weaving the successive crossings of the warp threads produce a considerable amount of lint which oats in the air around the loom. This lint accumulates on various parts of the loom such as stop motions, and interferes with their correct operation, and is also likely to be drawn into the warp shed and cause blemishes in the cloth. The lint results from operation of the loom and it is an important object of my present invention to equip the loom with an air cleaning system which it operates during the weaving lprocess. The air cleaning or ltering system is thus operated by the loom whenever the latter .produces lint.

It is another object of my invention to provide the system with an air intake mouth and exhaust the cleaned air'from the ltering system toward the intake mouth so that the lint laden air around the loom will be blown to a point where it can be drawn into the air cleaning system.

Since the crossings of the warp sheds produce much of the lint it is a further object of my invention to blow the cleaned air across the warp toward the aforesaid intake mouth so that the lint :floating over the warp will be directed toward the mouth.

Heretofore I have proposed the use of a pneumatic system for removing the waste threads which remain incident to the replenishing operations of bobbin changing looms. Some of these threads are removed by a pneumatic thread holder located beyond the bobbin magazine and others are removed by an extractor betweenthe magazine and cloth. As shown more particularly in my prior Patent No. 2,199,354 the intake mouths of the pneumatic devices for receiving these threads are located adjacent to the bobbin magazine and are connected pneumatically to a pump which operates during loom operation to draw the waste threads out of the path of the shuttle and into a thread trap. It is, another object of my present invention to combine the waste thread removing devices with an air ltering system which utilizes the intake mouths for the threads as the intake for the air to be cleaned. In one form of my invention I use the air lter as a trap for the waste threads.

vention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein two forms of my .present invention are set forth,

Fig. 1 is a. side elevation of a loom'having the preferred form of my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow 2,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the loom shown in Fig. 1, parts being omitted,

. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4--4 of Fig. 2 through the thread trap with the bobbin can removed,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the air filter shown in the upper right hand part of Fig. 1 when it acts only to remove lint from air passing through it,

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the exhaust pipe for the unit, and

Fig. 'Z is a view similar to a part of Fig. l, but showing a modied form of my invention in which the air filter also acts as a thread trap.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a loom frame I0, a lay II, a reserve bobbin magazine I2 supported by the frame I0 and a bobbin can I3 resting on a thread trap formed as a hollow box-like structure I4. The latter may be formed as shown in Fig. 4 and has secured thereto as at I5 the lower end of a pneumatic thread holder tube or pipe I6, the upper end of which as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 receives the weft ends W from bobbins B in the magazine I2. The pipe I6 communicates with the interior of the thread trap I4 so that threads drawn into the upper end of the thread holder pipe can pass into the trap. r

A thread remover 20 is mounted between the magazine and the center of the loom as suggested in Fig. 2 and is connected by a pipe 2| to the under side of the thread trap I4 as at 22. A

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invacuum pipe 23 extends rearwardly from4 the thread trap and is provided with a screen 24 which prevents threads from passing from the interior of the trap I4 into the pipe 23. The rear end of pipe 23 is connected to a fan 25 which is driven by a belt 26 trained around a pulley 21 driven by the loom motor 28. The latter is supported in any approved manner on the loom and' is controlled from an electric switch box 29 supported near the motor and on the oor on which the loom rests. 'I'he purpose of the fan is to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the trap I4 so that streams of air constantly move into the intake mouths 30 and 3| of the thread holder having a sheet of warp`36 extending upwardly therefrom and around a whip roll 31. The Warp threads then extend forwardly through harness frames 38 two of which are shown in Figs. 1 and 3. From the harness frames the warp threads lead forwardly to the cloth 39. During loom operation the harness frames 38 are reciprocated to effect crossing of the Warp threads at` regularly recurring intervals Whenever the loom is in operation.

The matter thus far described may be made either according to standard loom construction or as set forth in the aforesaid patent and' in my co-pendingr application Serial No. 526,033, filed March 11, 1944. When the switch 29 is closed the motor 28 operates by connections not shown but well understood to cause successive crossings of the warp threads by the harness frames, one result of which is to produce a considerable amount of lint which floats in the air about the loom. The fan 25 is also caused to turn Whenever the motor is in operation so that air is drawn into the intake mouths 30 and 3| whenever the warp threads are being crossed.

In carrying the preferred form of my present invention into effect I provide means by which the air which is drawn into the intake mouths 3l) and 3| may be cleared of the lint in it and then discharged preferably though not necessarily at a point near the loom. Accordingly, I provide an air filter unit 40 which is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a. bracket 4| secured as at 42 to the loom frame. This bracket may conveniently be a strip of sheet metal wrapped around the unit 40 and clamped in holding position as at 43. 'I'he unit 40 includes a vertical cylinder 45 having an intake 46 and an outletl 41. The intake is connected by a pipe or tube 48 to the discharge end 49 of fan 25.

A cover 50 is held in position by clamps 5| which ordinarily hold the cover down tightly against the top of the cylinder to prevent air leakage. The cover has depending therefrom a sleeve 52 around which extends a cloth filter bag 53 the closed end 54 of which is held to the sleeve by straps 55. The open end of the bag isoutside sleeve 52 and is secured to inner walls of the cylinder 45 by a ring 56 held in any approved manner on the cylinder. The cylinder 45 has a bottom 51 detachably held thereto as at 58 and has an upwardly facing pan 59 to catch lint, dirt, etc., which falls from the bag. The clamps and connections 58 are shown in Figs. 5 and 7, but have been omitted from Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In the operation of the unit 40 the air which is drawn into'the intake mouths 30 and 3| passes through the thread trap I4 and pipe 23, then through the fan 25 and upwardly through the pipe 45 and into the cylinder 45 through the inlet 46. The air is then forced through the bag 53 into that part of the unit which communicates with the outlet 41. 'I'he lint in the air thus accumulates on the bag so that the air .which reaches the outlet is clean. In the operation of the preferred form of the invention which has just been described the waste threads or yarns Y which are removed from the loom incident to replenishing operations are held-within the trap I4 by means of the screen 24 and do not enter the pipe 23, the fan or the filter unit 4U, and the lint collects at L in pan 59, see Fig. 5.

In the modied form of my invention set forth in Fig. '1 the intake mouths 30 and 3| and their pipes I6 and 2| are connected to a fitting 60 fastened to a bracket 6| secured to the loom frame and on which the 'bobbin can I3 rests. Pipe |6 vconnects as at 62 to a passage 63 of the fitting,

while pipe 2| connects as at 64 to a passage B5 of the fitting. Both of the passages connect with a third passage 66 conected at 61 to pipe 23. The fitting 69 does not contain a screen so that the threads pass from the intake mouths through the fitting 60 and pipe 23, through the fan, and then upwardly into the unit 40. In this modified form of the invention the unit 40 is the same as that used in the preferred form, but it serves both as an air filter and a, thread trap. In Fig. '1 the waste threads Y are shown in the pan 59.

In both forms of the invention I find it convenient to direct the exhaust air from the unit 40 toward the intake mouths 39 and 3|. This feature of the invention is shown more particularly in Fig. 3 where it will be seen that the outlet 41 is connected to a pipe 10 which extends from the magazine side of the loom to the opposite side where it is held by a bracket 1|, see Fig. 3. The end ofthe pipe 10 extends horizontally as at 12 and is pointed across the warp toward the intake mouths 30 and 3|. may be flared as at 13, if desired, see Fig. 6, in the shape of a fan to direct the air issuing therefrom in a flat broad stream across the warp threads.

The particular form of the end of the pipe shown in Fig. 6, however, is not important but it is desirable that the discharged air set up a draft across the warp threads toward the magazine and the intake mouths for the system.

In operation, whenever switch 29 is closed motor 28 will run to operate the loom and turn the fan 25, whereupon the pneumatic system including the intake mouths, pipe 23, the fan 25 and unit 40 will be set in operation. The crossing of the warp threads incident to loom operation will produce the aforesaid lint and some of the air in which the lint is suspended will be drawn into the two intake mouths and pass through the system and then be discharged from the unit 40 in cleaned condition. During this operation the removed lint L will be collected in the pan 59 of the lter 40.

I do not wish necessarily to be limited to the switch 29 as a means for controlling the loom and it is set forth herein as illustrative of only one means by which the loom can be started and stopped. In the preferred form of the invention the waste threads Y which are left incident to replenishing operations of the loom collect in the thread trap |4, but in the modified form of the invention the threads Y are passed through the fan and collect in the unit 40, falling The end of the pipe for any extended period the air cleaning system also is brought to rest so that there is no waste .of power at the fan when lint is not being produced at the loom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a Weaving unit having a built-in air cleaning system by which the air around the loom, or in its locale or vicinity, can be freed of the lint which oats in it incidental to loom operation. The air cleaning system is preferably connected to the loom and operates only when the latter operates, and causes circulation of part ofy the air around the loom through the ltering system. Furthermore, it will be seen that the outlet from which the cleaned air issues is directed toward the intake mouths 30 and 3| and preferably though not necessarily across the Warp. By

.this means a steady stream of lint is directed toward the intake mouths. Also, when the invention Vis applied to weft replenishing looms the intake mouths can be utilized for removing Waste threads and the latter may collect either in the trap I4 according to the preferred form of the invention, ormay be passed on-to the unit 40 in the modified form of the invention. In the latter case the thread cleaning unit serves not only to remove lint from the air which passes through lt, but also acts as a thread trap.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a, reserve bobbin magazine and in which waste threads remain adjacent to the magazine incident to replenishing operations, the operation of the loom causing the air around the loom to become laden With lint particles, pneumatically acting waste thread removing means having an intake mouth adjacent to the magazine to receive the Waste threads and lint laden air, an air filter operative to remove lint from air passing therethrough, and pneumatic means to draw said waste threads and air into said mouth and pass the air through said filter and then direct the air toward said magazine.

2. In a weft replenishing loom in which Waste threads remain adjacent a bobbin magazine incident to replenishing operations, the operation of the loom producing lint particles which float in the air around the magazine and loom, pneumatic thread removing means having an intake mouth permanently located adjacent to said magazine and in position to draw said waste threads thereinto when air is drawn into said intake mouth by suction, an air ilter operative.

to remove lint from air passing therethrough and having an outlet adjacent to the loom facing the magazine, and pneumatically acting means which draws air into said intake mouth by suction to effect removal of said waste threads and causes the air so drawn to pass through and have the RICHARD G. TURNER. 

